Bio:

Janus of Issau is a Sunchaser at heart and an Assassin by trade. Orphaned as an infant due to what rumors call a monster attack, Janus was raised (and named) by the Janno Nobles of House Issau. Janus was taught the courtly ways, such as they are in Janno lands, but took an immediate liking to more physical activities as well as the legends of the Crone and the Ninety-nine Knights. His childhood was one that the Rascal himself might have related with, and it became clear that Janus had not the heart for leading other men, even though he may have the skill and the courage.

Taking to Sunchasing was an obvious choice after one of the Crone’s Ninety-Nine was spotted near the lands of House Issau. Janus watched as a brave group of Sunchasers drove the Knight off and were hailed as heroes by the locals, and immediately decided that he wanted to have that kind of lifestyle as well. Janus trained his body well, learning ways to put his naturally lean and muscular form to good use, as well as learning how to hide in plain sight so that he could get in close and let his natural agility and strength work to their full advantage with smaller weapons.

Janus left House Issau and traveled on his own for a few years, learning the land and fighting back at any sign of Crone (or Crone-Like) corruption he could find. More than a few corrupt leaders found themselves murdered in their bedchambers or on a busy street, and Janus used his social skills to let his legend spread. Of particular note was the corrupt Duke Ruppern; a veritable traitor to his people who had been abusing his position and even selling his people to agents of the Crone. Janus stole away into his manor in the dead of night under the guise of a guardsman, worked his way through three floors of armed guards, and found his way into the Duke’s armory. The most prominent display of armor was the chestguard and leggings of an ancient hero of the Pech, fabled to turn away any blade strike and make it appear on ones opponent. Though the fittings were missing, Janus put the armor on and confronted the Duke. The two dueled upon his balcony, rapier to dagger, and though outmatched in sheer skill the armor gave Janus the edge needed to survive the blows and force the Duke off of his balcony and to his death below.

Janus’ reputation began to grow rapidly upon acquiring the (What he dubbed) Shortblade Armor, and that legend continued to grow upon entering Grand Braid Tournament; a competition of arms held to promote unity between the peoples of the Thousand-River Valley. Janus entered the competition, usually dominated by men wearing heavy armor and wielding large weapons, with only a parrying dagger and a cloak as his weapons. His armor helped him skyrocket through the competition, until he faced a trained fencer named Elran. When the battle began Janus caught his opponent off-guard by pointing to the stands and yelling in surprise, throwing his cloak at the distracted foe, and then stepping quickly in to press the point of his dagger up against Elran’s throat; winning in one swift (and not entirely fair) surprise attack.

From there he kept traveling the Sunpools for awhile, eventually coming across a small village near the Shimmering Lake that was being set upon by a rampaging troll. Janus leaped in to confront the beast, though the battle quickly turned into a losing stalemate. Any wound that Janus inflicted upon the troll with his small weapons quickly healed itself, and any damage that the Troll’s poorly-made sword did to Janus was defended by the armor. The Troll could keep coming for hours, but Janus was slowly being worn down by the beasts attacks. The fight eventually spilled into a nearby blacksmith, where Janus found a blade still red hot from the fires of the furnace. In a fit of desperation Janus grabbed the hilt of the sword with his cloak, thrust the burning blade into the Troll, and while it collapsed from the pain of the fire leaped upon it and cut its heart out with his daggers. The populace were thankful, hailing Janus as a hero, and a local magesmith took the heartstrings of the Troll and weaved them into a powerful amulet that would let Janus have healing powers similar to the beast he had fought.

With amulet and armor Janus of Issau created an even greater name for himself, and took on an even higher calling. His mission is to rid the world of the Crone’s corruption, and to personally slay as many members of the Ninety-Nine Knights as he can possibly find. His travels have caused him to become allies with Terwyn the Trader and Shesa the Scout, but their stories are their own, and Janus’ future is bright still with chasing the sun.